The former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar feels that the team neither showed any intent in their 120-run chase against India at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, during their second game of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 nor ‘applied their brains’ at all.
Under the over-cast conditions in New York, Pakistan captain Babar Azam, winning the vital toss opted to bowl first without any second thought. Rohit Sharma started quite well showing his aggression against the left-arm pace of Shaheen Shah Afridi, but Naseem Shah, after going for a boundary sent back the ‘big fish’ Virat Kohli on the second over of the afternoon.
India’s wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant looked to nail every ball from the very first over, but couldn’t get going, with a bit of luck favoring the Delhi-born at that moment. When the inaugural champions of the tournament reached 89/3 in 11 overs, the aim was perhaps to get something around 160.
But a mini-collapse, with some great bowling skills from the Pakistan pacers, helped them to bundle out India for 119, with still six balls left in the course of the first innings, which was expected to be the fine margin between joy and disappointment.
‘I am speechless and hurt, that’s about it…’- Shoaib Akhtar
Pakistan made a steady start in their 120-run chase, with an early life to Babar, as Shivam Dube dropped an easy chance in the fine leg region. But Jasprit Bumrah still broke the opening stand, when he found the edge of the Pakistan captain in his second over.
Mohammad Rizwan was playing too many dot balls in the middle, and that was creating pressure on not only him but also on the entire dressing room of the team. Usman Khan too looked a bit nervous in the middle.
However, with 48 runs required with run-a-ball, the only way the ‘Men in Green’ could have lost the game was if they had zero belief in themselves, and that’s exactly what happened. When India’s premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah returned for a one-over spell in the 15th over, there was no requirement of taking him on, but Rizwan trying to slog him, sat on his knees with the stumps being broken.
Imad Wasim was trying hard in the middle, but couldn’t get anything at all off his blade. Iftikhar Ahmed too couldn’t do anything, and it was quite bizarre how there was a low full toss on the pads from Bumrah to him, and the batter just found the fielder in the field. The only thing he required to that ball was to get some bat, and he did, but he found the fielder.
The defeat means Pakistan will now have to depend on the other results of the teams, as their former pacer Shoaib Akhtar left dejected over Pakistan’s seventh lose to India in the history of the T20 World Cups.
The ‘Rawalpindi Express’ questioned the intent from the Pakistan team, as he shared a video on his YouTube channel on the team.
‘Very disappointing. It was a run-a-ball chance for Pakistan. Earlier, India’s middle-order messed it up. They were 80-odd in 11 overs and could have achieved around 160 but couldn’t. But for Pakistan, it was a close chance. Rizwan could have scored another 20 runs and won the game for the team. Sadly, we didn’t apply our brains,” Retired pacer Shoaib Akhtar reflected.
Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: Shoaib Akhtar Advices Pakistan To Play ‘With A Bit Of Daleri’ Against India
When it comes to showing game awareness, the Pakistan side was nowhere near, and that made Shoaib Akhtar speechless in dissecting the game.
‘A lot of things are questionable, their intent, the application… it’s really sad for the team. Pakistan should have won this game. They were pretty much in the game, requiring 46 runs in 47 balls when Fakhar was there. We had 7 wickets in hand but we couldn’t do it. I’m speechless and hurt, that’s about it,” 49-year-old Shoaib Akhtar expressed on the video.
Pakistan will now take on Canada on June 11, at the same Nassau County in New York.